Cloud Number Nine
by Chapilliams
Summary: Alex and Claire finally finds the true love with each other after a trip to Queensland. How will there lives unfold and can they conquer the bad times?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 - Trouble on Cloud Number Nine**

The silent knock on the door startled him, a knock so shy and humble that he knew who it was without opening the door. _Claire_. He walked across the hotel room with a towel in his hand, wet hair and nothing but his pants on. Leaving his muscles on his upper body free of sight. He opened the door with a slow movement and his intuition was right - he smiled as he saw Claire in front of him but something was wrong. She was supposed to be talking things over with Peter, not that he understood why. Peter was a man that had stumped on her feelings, lied to her - to everyone, and still she felt the urge to talk with him, make things right between them. Alex took in a deep breath as he focused his eyes at Claire. A knob like Peter didn't deserve the slightest attention from a woman like her.  
"It was a mistake coming here" Claire said and made her way inside, ignoring the fact Alex was standing in front of her without a shirt on. "I don't know what I was thinking" she continued and placed herself on the couch at the end of the bed with a sigh. She thought things would be different if she saw him, she thought she could forgive what he had done and try and mend things with him. She loved him or she used to, at one point - he even used to make her happy. She thought he was the one but what a fool she had been. "Don't give me that look" she said as she saw how Alex looked at her - like he wanted to say "I told you so" but she didn't need to hear it, she knew too well now that he had been right in everything. She had lost the man she loved, the man she thought she should spend the rest of her life with. How she had allowed Peter to pull her in as he had was a big question to her. For once in her life she took the jump and she ended up at the bottom of the cliff, instead of flying high above on cloud number nine.  
"I told you to let him go when you found out he was married" Alex said and took a short break before he continued "What happened?" he silently asked, not wanting to know anything about their business. It ached his heart knowing Claire would have anything to do with him and it ached his heart that she still wanted to fix things between them after she had found out he was married. Peter had promised her so many things after she had found out, saying Claire was the only one for him but Alex didn't buy it - so coming here with Claire wasn't easy but he did it, as a friend to Claire, it was his way of making things right between them. He had been hurt when she first got together with Peter but he saw how much she loved him, so he ignored it. Ignored it until the day he was told Peter was already married, that he had been fooling Claire - many bad things were said back there, many bad things had happened. There was too much bad blood between Alex and Peter, and he constantly regretted not being there for Claire so he had to do this for her, he had to come with her on her mission to fix things with Peter.  
"She was there. His wife - he told me he had left her, it was the only reason why I wanted to meet him. I have been the stupidest person in the whole world" Claire said with tears in her eyes. "I only got to his house and that's when I saw them, through the window, together .. What a fool I've been" Claire continued with a tearful voice. Alex took in a deep breath and took a seat next to her, he was so angry with Peter - how could he do this to her? First he came in and swept Claire of her feet right in front of him and it had placed him in a position he didn't know a thing about - how to be a friend to the woman he really loved. For the first time in his life he had realised Claire was the one he was missing in his life but with Peter around, it all got ruined.  
"He's a knob" was all Alex had to say  
"Hmpfh, what does that make me then?" Claire said, trying to gather her tears. She wasn't one to cry in front of others and she never cried in front of Alex. She realised as he was sitting beside her, that he had nothing on but his pants. His hair was still wet and small drops of water splashed from his hair onto his chest. Something stirred inside of Claire, a feeling she hadn't had for a long time, a feeling she thought was gone - a feeling she buried when she met Peter, because she knew acting on that feeling was out of the question but seeing him in front of her like that brought the feeling back to life. Being in his presence made her feel shy, small and out of place.  
"Well, a bit stupid" Alex said with a cheeky smile on his mouth and pushed to her leg with his. Claire smiled at his comment. This was the reason they got on so well, he knew exactly what to say to make her laugh, he understood her in a way no other did and he was Alex. _Alex, Alex, Alex .._ His name kept running on repeat in her thoughts. She shook her head with a smile and placed her arms on her knees, resting her head in her hands. Her life had been so easy before Peter walked into it and now it was a huge mess, leaving her with mixed feelings about absolutely everything. "Urgh, why was I this stupid .. " she said out in the room without expecting an answer. "Of all the stupid things I have done, I could have done, I chose him" she stopped, the hurting she had felt moments before was slowly on return and she got more and more angry, thinking of Peter. "Next time you'll might listen to me, aigh?" Alex said with his focus on Claire. He couldn't help but look at her, she was beautiful, even in tears and with redness on her skin from her anger. She had a vague scent of sweetness every time she moved, a scent he could recognize everywhere, his favorite smell in the entire world. His eyes suddenly met hers, even though they were watery they were still sparkling bright as the ocean on a warm summer day, they hit him like a soft wave, splashing through his body. She looked at him, beginning to feel shy as she noticed how he gazed at her, keeping eye contact and smiling. "Maybe next time I will" she answered, feeling her body pulling itself closer to him. They were playing a dangerous game and none of them knew where it would take them, both unaware of the feelings they both were holding on to, unaware about the consequences the next couple of seconds could have.  
"You think it was a stupid idea coming here?" she heard herself say with a low voice just inches away from Alex. She could almost feel his nose against hers and the warmth his body produced was hitting Claire like small missiles of lust and desire. She didn't know what she was doing but she felt drawn to him, her heart screamed out to him in a way she had never experienced before, not even with Peter. It begged her to fill in the distance between them, begged her to kiss him. "No" He quickly said and played with a lock of her hair, still gazing at her "but I think I'm about to do something very stupid" Alex said with just a few inches between him and Claire. The warm of her breath danced on his face as tiny suns, reheating everything in their path from a long frosty winter. His desire for her was untamed and unleashed and maybe he would regret doing what he was about to do, but it was something he had to do, a chance he simply had to take - she was his chance.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - Evening Chill**

She felt his hand on her cheek, his thumb caressed her skin so gently and light that she started to drift off into another world, a world with only the two of them. Alex and Claire, no one else. It felt like they were the only ones that mattered and they were - they were the only one that mattered in that exact moment. His touch made her feel at home, at ease, it was everything she had longed for. She opened her eyes and took one final look into his bright blue eyes before their mouths met. Their kiss was passionate, soft and yet one of the strongest forces in the whole universe. It felt like her broken heart finally started to heal itself back together, their kiss felt like a warm sun beam guiding every little piece of her heart in the right direction, it felt like .. it felt like her heart was finally home.

He found himself alone in the bed as his mind slowly came back from the sleep. He quickly searched the room with his eyes, he couldn't see her anywhere and he suddenly got stung by a float of sadness in his heart. She had just been here, in his arms. He placed himself on the edge of the bed and prepared himself to lose her once again, lose the woman he loved, but he suddenly caught a glimpse of her outside on the balcony. She hadn't left, she was still here - where she were supposed to be. He smiled as he studied her in his shirt and bare legs. He felt his heart starting to beat fast - he had to be brave, he wanted this more than anything in the whole world. All of his life he had been afraid of feelings, emotion and to fall in love. But it was different with Claire, he wanted it to be different with her, she was special. He had hoped for this day to come ever since Peter had taken her away from him and long before that, without knowing and now he finally had the chance, the chance to shape his life as he wanted and be with the woman he wanted. But he was scared, scared to lose her - scared like he had been when he opened his eyes to see she wasn't there. But how could he love if he was too scared to fall? And as he watched her standing alone on the balcony he knew. Knew that all his doubt went away, knew that he had been dying everyday waiting for her. He got on his feet and made his way outside. The sky was dark and the stars shined bright in the chilly evening wind. He put his arms around her from behind, she still smelled like the sweetest thing and he couldn't help but take in a deep breath of it. Claire turned around to face him and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek - she was happy, truly happy. Hours ago she had been on the verge of a breakdown but somehow Alex happened and he came in like a thief in the night and washed away all of her feelings she had ever had towards Peter. She was where she was supposed to be - in his arms.  
As she smiled at him time stood still and he couldn't believe he had managed to go on for so long without her. He looked her deep in the eyes and made a secret vow to himself - he wouldn't let anything take away what was standing in front of him, this was what he had waited for, this was his life.  
"Alex I .."  
"Shh, don't say anything" Alex said and planted a soft kiss on her lips. He needed to tell her how he felt before she could say anything. "I have never met a woman like you in my whole life, and I have only wished for, and hoped for, to find the person that fits into my heart" he stopped and moved his hand to her ear, gently stroking the tip of it as he put a lock of her hair behind it.  
"But Alex, can I just" Claire tried to speak her mind but Alex stopped her. "Claire .. You are the one person that fits. Time has brought your heart to me and .."  
"Can I just get a word in?" Claire interrupted him and smiled at him like she had never done before. "I love you" she said with a soft voice and watched how Alex's eyes turned into two bright stars. Yes, she had always loved him but knowing she couldn't have him had made her shut down her feelings towards him. Had she known he felt the same as her, she would had acted on her feelings years ago. What she had with Peter was love, she genuinely loved him but this, this was different. This was love in a whole other way, this was soulmates with keys that only fit into each others locks. Alex had always been the one and she finally understood it now - They were meant to happen, this was meant to happen. His arms held her tight, tighter than any arms had hold her before and yet it felt like the greatest escape - she felt like she could face all of the world's problems, as long as she was in his arms. She took the moment to let her hands explore his upper body - chest, arms and back, making sure she touched every single inch of his bare body. Standing with him like this was a moment she had dreamed of a long time ago and it felt better than she could imagine, all she wanted to do was splash around in his skin and let her desire run free.  
He lifted her chin kindly and stared into her sparkling eyes, they did something to him, took him places he had never dreamt about. He felt every stroke from her soft hands on his body, they were dancing away like they had no mercy. As he moved in to plant a kiss on her mouth he knew she was the one. He kissed her with passion, letting their tongues dance together, explore each other - letting them melt into one as their hearts did every time he was standing with her in his arms. They looked at each other and smiled as their kiss ended - it was all beginning to feel surreal to Claire. It was the most amazing night of her life, it was all she had ever dreamt of and more but it was also weird and funny to be standing here with Alex. Alex Ryan - Her best mate for years and it suddenly made her laugh. Alex looked at her unaware of what had caused her to laugh.  
"What?" he asked with a modest smile and took a quick look down himself to see if he was the one causing her to laugh. Claire shook her head, it wasn't even funny, it was just too surreal to grasp her head around. She looked back at him and smiled and started to make her way to the fence at the end of the balcony. She leant herself up against the fence and looked at him with playing eyes, that made him want to pull her closer to him.  
"It's nothing" she said and let out a small laugh "It's just - you and me, here" she continued and turned to face the view of the skyline ahead of them. She felt Alex coming to her side as she admired the night sky - it was beautiful but not as beautiful as on Drover's. No, nothing could beat riding out in moonlight on the fields, camping out at night to watch the stars, feeling the fresh air run through your body and seeing the stars shine so bright they could guide you anywhere.  
"I miss home" she suddenly said and turned to Alex "but being here with you .." she stopped and felt a light wind whizz through her hair that made her bare arms and legs chilly for a few seconds. "Being here with you is the best feeling and I don't want to leave" she stroke his arm as her eyes saddened. She genuinely didn't wanted to leave, afraid that the moments they had shared would be lost when they got home, all she wanted was to stay here with Alex, stay in their own world they had built during the last couple of hours - stay in a world where she could see him, touch him and feel his arms around her all the time. She felt Alex lift her chin, forcing her to look at him. He saw her worried look and tilted his head slightly to the side and caressed her cheek with his thumb. "Let's stay one more night then" he said and kept gazing at her. He pulled her in, breaking the distance between them - Even though they only had inches between them it was too much. The perfect distance was no distance at all.  
Claire smiled at his words, there wasn't something she would rather be doing than being here with him. "but what about the work and what would we say?" she asked and looked at Alex, hoping he had a perfect excuse for them staying an extra night - and it had to be a damn perfect excuse for Tess to buy it. Alex smiled and started to stroke her arm, feeling her cold skin against his warm hand.  
"You have Tess" he said and kissed her on the neck, feeling how his touch affected her, creating chills on her bare skin. "and Becky" he said and made his way to her ear with kisses. Claire felt herself drifting off into her world of desire, feeling the untamed longing crawl out of its cave, ready to bring down his kisses and touch. "and Meg .. and Jodi" he said in between his kisses. A big grin started to spread on Claire's face, his touch was like a wave of feathers that tickled her everywhere they touched, a touch so fine and light it was driving her insane. As she made herself fall and give in to her lust and desire for Alex - the desire to feel him everywhere her brain started to think of every logical reason why they should go home, why they couldn't stay but her desire was too strong, it had almost consumed her, leaving her with nothing but surrendence. "What about Harry?" she heard herself say in a whisper as the last bit of logic disappeared.  
"He'll manage" Alex said and kissed his way to her mouth, making sure every kiss made her body stirr. He knew she felt the desire as much as him, he could feel it in the way she kissed him back. It was like their mouths played the hunter and the prey, chasing each other around, playing with each other, leaving each other restless. He tightened his grip around her, pushing her in so tight that their bodies warmth started to mix, filling them both with love and passion. He stopped his kiss and looked her deeply in the eyes, he didn't understand what she was doing to him, he had never experienced an uncontrolled desire like this before - a desire to feel her body everywhere. He wanted her and he needed her, now.


	3. Chapter 3

**A World of Their Own**

"Oooh, you are still here" he heard Claire say and felt her arm tightened around him.  
"You fell asleep on my arm, I couldn't leave" Alex laughed and snuggled his head into her hair. He was only joking, couldn't resist himself from doing it, after all - it was what he did best. No, he would never leave her. He hadn't done much sleeping, he had been too busy looking at her asleep in his arms, feeling his heart beat faster every time he thought of their kisses, their touches and the night they spend together. She had him spinning around, drawing him in and he couldn't get out nor did he want to get out - he wanted to stay like this forever.  
"Oh yeah" Claire laughed at his remark and made herself comfortable on the pillow, allowing Alex to turn her way. He looked all handsome lying there with rough stubbles and messy hair that she had to resist herself from running a hand through. She loved every bit of him, truly loved him and she couldn't help but think of all the times she had wished she could have him, wished for him to feel the same way she did. "Alex, tell me" she said and cleared her throat, she wanted to know when he started to catch feelings for her, if he had had feelings for her as long as she had for him. "When did you first start fancying me?" she asked with a unsecure voice, feeling shy by having conversations like this with Alex. She wasn't used to this, they weren't used to this - it was all new and it scared her as well but it felt better than anything at the same time.  
"Well, I think I've always fancied you" he said and stroke her cheek with a smile. "What about you?"  
"As long as I can remember" Claire said with mysterious eyes and gently kissed the palm of his hand that were busy caressing her cheek. His touch kept taking her higher, lifting her from the ground, his touch made her feel like she was flying above everything. "Why didn't you say anything?" he asked with a smile but worries in his eyes. He couldn't help to think about what could have been if they both had been honest about their own feelings from the start. He could have spared Claire for so much pain in her life if he had told her years ago how he felt about her instead of being scared and run away like a dog with its tail between its legs. He started to feel guilty about what Peter had put her through, even though he knew it wasn't his fault but he still thought he had pushed her into his arm in some way or another.  
"You didn't either" Claire laughed and pushed to his shoulder but she soon noticed the troubled look on his face. "What's wrong?" she asked with a worried voice. Alex sighed and it made her feel anxious - what was going on behind those blue eyes, did she do something wrong?  
"You even fancied me when you were with Peter?" He heard himself say with a low voice. He didn't know why he asked her, it wasn't important for him to know but somehow he needed to be sure she was over him, that he wasn't a consolation prize but as he looked her in the eyes he knew as he had always known. Her eyes reflected all the years they had known each other, all the years they had been there for each other, all the years they had loved each other without saying a word - It was clear to him that Claire put him higher than anything in the whole world, he had just been too blind to see it. She sighed and turned to her back, facing the white ceiling, taking her beautiful eyes off him. "I loved Peter, I really did - but he was never you and I can see that clearly now when I look back. It wasn't only his fault things didn't work out, mainly but deep inside it never actually felt right" she stopped and felt how her eyes were starting to tear up "I used so much energy to push you back in my mind, trying to think about you as Alex Ryan and not .. Alex. But every time you weren't around I missed you, every time you called me I never wanted to hang up, when you left I wanted to tell you to stay, when I .." Claire stopped, feeling tears running down her cheeks and her heart aching. She had been bottling up all these feelings for so long, never got to show them, talk about them or even act on them. "When I kissed him I used to close my eyes and pretend it was you - I know it wasn't fair to do but .. If I couldn't have you, I could at least have you in my own fantasy" she felt his fingers on her cheeks, rushing away the tears she had no control over and they kept coming in a light stream. She was finally able to talk about all of the feelings she had buried deep inside and a brick got lifted from her heart but it also hurt her. It hurt knowing she had caused so much pain to herself just because she couldn't tear down that wall she had placed between herself and Alex.  
He gently moved her head and made her focus on him, he had to make sure that she knew that there would be no more pain, no more tears, no more pretend - this was real and this was him. He kissed away a single tear that had found its way to the corner of her mouth and gently stroke her hair. She looked at him with her tearful eyes and a small smile found its way, as she understood what he was trying to say, he didn't needed to say something she knew just by looking at him. He pulled her in and hugged her tight, more than he had the other times but he wanted to make sure she understood he wasn't going anywhere, he was right here by her side, for as long as he lived. He closed his eyes with Claire in his arms, feeling her heartbeat, beat in the rhythm of his heart. "Just give me my new beginning" he said and kissed her hair - that was all he wanted. A new beginning, no Peter, no mixed feelings, no insecurities, just them and their love for each other. She squeezed herself a bit harder into his arms, it was everything she wanted - she wanted to forget about the past and focus on the future, the future with Alex. He made her look at him, lifting her head from his chest. He wiped away the last tears from her eyes and smiled at her before kissing her. Kissing her was something he could never get tired of doing, something he had been longing for as long as he could remember and now that he had the opportunity he never wanted it to stop. His weight made her turn to her back, putting her arms around him, making sure she didn't break their kiss. He stopped, pulled his upper body to rest in the strength from his arms. Her eyes captured him once again. Drawing him in, making him wonder what was going on in her beautiful mind, making him study every edge of her that was visible from the covers. She was perfect, even with all the imperfections she had - she was perfect because she loved him, loved him more than anything, loved him more than he could have ever hoped for.  
"Are you trying to lead me astray, Alex Ryan?" he heard Claire ask and pulled himself out of his own thoughts. He sent her a cheeky smile that got her to smile as well. "Would that be a problem?" he asked and kissed her on the neck that made her send out a small laugh. "We have to get back" Claire said and placed her hands on both side of his head. His stubbles felt rough against her palms and she could almost feel the blood rush through his veins. "I thought we stayed an extra day" Alex said and made his way down her arm with kisses, feeling the same desire run through their bodies as the night before. They were like two teenageres who was alone in the room for the first time, feeding on the tension that had been built up during the years, feeding on the lust and longing.  
"Uuurgh I want to but we can't" Claire said and couldn't help but laugh as his stubbles lightly crossed her bare shoulder. "Yes we can" Alex said and kissed her on the neck, determined to stay in bed all day. He wasn't ready to leave their world and go back home, not yet. Their mouths met in a heavy float of kisses, all intense, passionate and soft.  
"Alex" Claire laughed and took his head in her hands. "I love you and I love this and I don't want to go back, but we have to - we can't hide out here in Queensland forever. Beside, the truck is coming by the day after tomorrow to pick up the last herd of sheep for the sale and I don't trust Tess to handle gathering them all" Claire said and looked at him, begging him to understand the importance of them going home. They might have created their own world here, in this hotel room, but they would just have to create their own world at home, beside - she was about ready to get away from Queensland and every memory of Peter. She wanted to start all over again, at home, with Alex by her side.  
"Fine, you win McLeod" Alex said and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before pulling himself off her. She was right, as always - They did need to go back home and soon. He would have Harry on his back for days if he failed to have things done around the place, and having Harry on his back was something he could live without.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Truth That Lies Ahead**

They were sitting in Alex's ute, both unwilling to let the other go. He smiled at her, recalling every moment they had shared the past 24 hours - it had been the best day of his life. It started out as a favour, something he needed to do for Claire as a friend but it had turned out to be so much more than that. He took her hand and stroke it, not wanting to let go of it, aching the goodbye they were about to take. Claire looked out the window to see the others making their way to the ute. She wasn't ready to tell them about her and Alex, it had all happened so fast that she could barely keep up herself. She had left Drover's with the intention of working things out with Peter but she came home with the best of the best. _Alex._ And the fact her and Alex were a thing now needed too much explanation and now just wasn't the time for that.  
"I'll take your bag inside" Alex said and let go of her hand, ready to get out of the ute and face the others. Ready to let them all know about him and Claire, he was ready - ready to tell the world.  
"We can't say anything Alex" Claire said with a firm voice. She wanted to, more than anything and she wanted to kiss him, wanted to be in his arms again. She had hid her feelings towards him for too long and she hated the fact she would have to do it again, even if it just were for a little bit.  
"We don't have to say anything, they'll figure it out for themselves" Alex said with a smile, a smile that reached all the way up to both of his ears. She couldn't help but smile at him, he looked like a boy that had just gotten his first kiss and was obsessed for more. "ooooh, I want to tell them, I do. I don't wanna hide my desire to be with you .. kiss you - it's hard enough now" Claire said and gave him the smile only she could, the one where it reached her eyes and made them shine even brighter, the one where he would fly off into another world, feeling his heart beat faster and feeling the urge to take a leap of faith into the unknown - because with Claire by his side the unknown wasn't scary at all. "We'll tell them at the right time" Claire said and with the sound of her voice he got back to reality, looking into her bright eyes.  
"Okay, if that is what you want" Alex said and got out of ute, a bit disappointed but he understood where she was coming from. It would take a lot of explanations to explain why she went off to figure things out with Peter, and came home with Alex as her sidekick. He smiled for himself at the thought of his last thought. _Sidekick_ \- He shook his head and got Claire's bag out from the trunk.  
"It's so good to have you back!" Meg said with a bit of too much enthusiasm in her voice. She hugged Claire like she hadn't seen her for days.  
"Jeez Meg, I've only been gone a day" Claire said and let go of her with a smile. "I know, it's .. it's just good to have you home again" Meg said and tried looking Tess' way discreetly but Claire picked up on it and frowned.  
"What's going on here?" She asked, wanting to know why Meg acted weird.  
"Nothing.. Other than the fact Tess got herself stuck in the mud up to her knees last night, when she tried moving the sheep's" Becky said, trying not to laugh and pushed Jodi with her arm, sending her a signal to keep her mouth shut, but it was too late. Jodi was already halfway through a heart attack from laughing so hard.  
"You did what?" Claire asked and a big grin started to spread through her face, she was trying to hold her laugh in but it was getting to a point where it was near impossible.  
"It's not funny, Claire. I tried moving your stupid sheeps 'cause you HAD to go off to Queensland" Tess said and crossed her arms, feeling attacked. She couldn't see the fun in the incident, she had been stuck in mud up to her knees, waiting for hours until Becky finally came by - maybe in a few weeks it would be fun looking back at, but for now it was a moment she would like to forget, very much indeed and fast.  
"You literally got stuck in mud?" Claire asked and started to laugh, she knew Tess would take it personally but it was too much fun not to laugh and she tried not to, she really did but seeing her sister's unpleased look didn't help her. Alex's couldn't help himself either and he as well started laughing as he pulled out Claire's bag from the ute.  
"It's not funny guys" Tess said in a firm way but seeing how the others kept laughing, she decided to go back to the house, letting them cool off outside.  
"I better go after her" Meg quickly said, feeling for Tess - it wasn't easy being new on Drover's. Even though Tess had been there a year Meg knew Tess still felt like an outsider sometimes, she looked up to Claire, like a little sister should do, she wanted her to feel proud of her, she wanted to be like Claire - but none of them were like Claire, but that was okay. Because they didn't need to be like her to get their job done and Tess needed to understand that - But she still felt the urge to prove her worth at Drover's. Meg hurried after Tess, leaving Claire alone at the ute with Alex. She grabbed her bag from his hands as she tried calming herself down after a minor fit of laughter.  
"I think you made the right decision by getting back already" Alex said and shook his head with a small laugh. This was just typical Tess, she always ended up in trouble without asking for it. He stopped his laugh as he realised he had to say goodbye to Claire, say goodbye to the amazing day and night they had spent together. "I'm going to miss you" he said and looked at her with sad eyes. He had to fight himself, fight against the incredible force that draw him towards her, the force that always drew him into her web. "You two as well" Meg suddenly said behind them, ordering Becky and Jodi to get back to the house.  
"I'm going to miss you too" Claire said and placed a discreet hand on his stomach, hoping none of the others saw it but Meg did and she couldn't help but smile. Something had surely happened in Queensland, because Claire was like a whole other person right now. She was happy, like genuinely happy and Meg saw it instantly.  
"I'll call you later?" Alex asked as he got back in his ute, not wanting to go but he had to get back to Killarney and deal with whatever Harry throwed his way. Claire nodded and sent him off with a smile. She stood there for a second, feeling herself floating away to their secret world and for a second she felt his arms around her - She already missed him so much and it scared her a bit, it scared her that he had left and she didn't know if he would come back. Because that was exactly what Peter had done, left and never got back to her - But Alex wasn't Peter and she cursed herself for comparing him to Peter. She sighed and made her way inside to the rest.

"You must be hungry after all that traveling" Meg said as Claire got in sight in the kitchen, she quickly pulled out a chair for her to sit on and went back to the plate she was preparing for Claire. "Oh yes, I'm starving" Claire said and placed herself at the table across from Tess, who still looked unhappy about them laughing.  
"Look Tess, I'm sorry I laughed at you - but what point of "pretend it's sunday" didn't you understand?" Claire asked and tilted her head a bit to the side, waiting for Tess to say something. She had distinctly asked Tess not to do anything major and if problems appeared Becky would be handling them.  
"Well you never pretend it's sunday, so why should I?" Tess asked - all she wanted to do was help. Claire smiled, knowing where all of this was coming from. She knew Tess had had a hard time adjusting to the way of living out here, she was a city girl, a city girl deep in her heart and she tried so hard to fit in around here that she always ended up getting herself or someone else into trouble. "There's a huge difference Tess. I've lived here my whole life, I know what to do and what there needs to be done, it's always been my life and you've only been here a year. Give it time" Claire said, trying to comfort her sister.  
"I just don't want to feel like I'm in the way all the time. I thought I could round up the sheep by myself, I've done it with you a bunch off times and it wasn't that hard" Claire smiled at her, feeling her sisters need to prove herself, prove she belonged here, prove that she was Jack's daughter.  
"Look" Claire said with her mouth full of one of Meg's famous sandwiches. "tomorrow morning you'll help Becky get the sheep loaded. It's gonna be early and you'll have to show them who's the boss, okay?" Claire said and swallowed the bite she had just took. She wanted to let Tess be in charge of something, she wanted her to feel like she was needed - it wasn't a major thing she knew that, but for a start it would do and hopefully it would make Tess feel less in the way.  
"Sure, no problem" Tess said with a proud smile on her face. She looked forward to be bossing something around, she always saw how Claire was the boss off absolutely everyone and everything. Claire smiled as she saw her sister's face, how proud she was when Claire had asked her to be in charge but her mind started to find it's way to Alex. It had been no more than half an hour maybe 40 minutes, since he left but she missed him like crazy. Her body longed for his and she couldn't help but smile, unaware that everybody could see her.  
"But now to the most important thing" Jodi said and looked at Claire. They all looked at her, stared at her, seeing her glow like she had never done before.  
"Why are you so happy?!" Jodi asked and kept her stare at her, waiting for her to say something.  
"She's probably fixed things with Peeeter" Becky said and joined Jodi in her laugh. The name Peter snapped Claire back to reality. _If only they knew_ she thought to herself. Peter was definitely not the reason for her happiness, Alex was the only one who could take credit for that.  
"I actually never talked to Peter" Claire said, feeling their eyes swift between them. "I decided to take everybody's advice and let him go" She said with a firm voice, not wanting to get into further detail about her day in Queensland - That would mean for her to tell them about her and Alex. She felt her heart fill up with love and joy as she thought of him, she still couldn't believe things had happened between them. "But why did you stay there until today then?" Tess asked with a confusing look on her face. "What do you mean?" Claire asked well-knowing what Tess had asked her about, but she had to buy some time to figure out what to tell them all and she had to act fast. "I mean - What did you do a whole day in Queensland if you didn't talk with Peter?" Tess tried again, did she really had to cut it out to her before she understood her question?  
"I .. Well, I .." Claire stopped, she didn't know what to say. She couldn't exactly say she had spend the whole night with Alex exploring each others bodies.  
"Oh my god" Jodi suddenly said and leant back at the chair with her hand covering her mouth. "You and Alex!" Claire looked at her, feeling the panic crawl its way out to every cell in her body. She had to do something otherwise she would expose herself, and she wasn't ready to share him with the others, not yet.  
"There's no me and Alex!" Claire stated. "If you must know, I decided to check out a breeding seminar" she said and crossed her arms. Was she safe? Did they buy her lie? Tess and Jodi looked at each other, they weren't convinced and Claire could feel it. "Oh yeah, really?" Tess said and frowned, knowing Claire was filling them with bullshit. She didn't go to a seminar, especially not a breeding seminar - they would have heard about it for days before she left for Queensland. No, Claire was up to something sketchy, she just had to find out what.  
"Yes, really" Claire said, trying to ignore their stares at her.  
"What would it cost us to start a breeding program? How many hours do we need to put in it, which horses are you going to use?" Tess stopped, that was enough question to put Claire out of the game she was playing. Claire was lost for words, she didn't expect an interrogation from Tess like this, maybe it hadn't been the smartest idea she had come up with. Tess smiled as she noticed Claire kept quiet. She had hit her in a weak spot.  
"I have to check on the horses" Claire said and rushed through the kitchen. She had to get out of there, Tess kept poking to her with all these question she couldn't answer. She should have known Tess would see right through her and she couldn't help but think that Alex had been right, that they didn't need to say something, that they would find out by them self. "Yup, something definitely happened in Queensland" Tess said and laughed along with Jodi. It was a rare sight to see Claire left for words and out of place and it was a moment they could cherish for a long time.


	5. Chapter 5

**You love Him**

Claire had been working all day since she got back from Queensland with Alex, working so Tess and the others couldn't put her through another interrogation, working so she wouldn't have to tell another white lie about what she had been up to in Queensland, working so she could get her mind off Alex or at least try - but it was impossible. All she did was think of him, thinking of when she'll see him again, thinking of his sweet tasteful lips on hers, thinking of his arms around her that made her feel safe and protected.  
"Easy there girl" Claire said with a comforting voice as Blaze patience started to wear off, pulling Claire out of her thoughts. She had been currying Blaze for what seemed forever, combed her in the same spot because her mind kept taking her back to Alex - She was drifting weightless high above on cloud number nine, she was madly in love with him, she loved him, loved him so much it almost hurt. She smiled, Peter hadn't been the one, she saw that clearly now - she never felt this way with Peter, she never felt like she was dying when he wasn't around. No, Alex was the one, Alex was the one she would die for.  
"Claire, dinner is ready" Meg called from the back of the house.  
"I'll be right there" Claire yelled back, quickly finishing up Blaze before letting her out into the paddock again "I'm sorry girl, I've been a bit distracted" Claire said and smiled as she saw Blaze run off to the other horses - She was a beautiful horse, probably the most beautiful horse Claire had ever seen. Her skin almost had a golden touch when the sun hit her and her mane was flawless, silky and soft - nothing like any other horse. The lie from earlier suddenly popped up. Having a breeding program on Drover's had always been her biggest dream, and doing it with Blaze would indeed be the perfect opportunity. She started to smile, it wasn't a bad idea at all - All she needed was a male, a beautiful male that could give her a number one foal. She frowned. Where would she even get the money to start a breeding program? A small sigh escaped her lungs, her dream would have to stay a dream for a bit longer.

"There you go, dig in" Meg said and joined the rest of them around the dinner table. It was her famous apricot chicken, the one they would get three times a week, the one dish she was the most proud of and the dish none of them dared to criticize. Not that there were anything to criticize, it tasted good, really good for a fact but getting it three times a week was making it a bit plain and boring.  
Jodi was as usual complaining about how the dust from the roads kept ruining her hair and Becky pretended to listen, like she always did but she just nodded and said a few hmm's now and then, Meg was busy trying to get Jodi to understand that things didn't come easy and you had to work for them but Tess - she was quiet. And Tess was never quiet. She spend the whole dinner looking at Claire, studying her every move, trying to read her but nothing, there was nothing to read. She knew something was up and she was pretty sure something was up with Alex and her, she just had to find out what.  
"I'll get it" Claire said and jumped from the chair and almost ran to the phone. It was probably Alex, it had to be Alex - he was going to call and he hadn't all day. She smiled as she picked up the phone, smiled at the thought of his voice in the other end, she couldn't wait to hear it. But to Claire's disappointment it was Terry.  
"It's for you" Claire said with great disappointment to Meg as she got back to the table. She was really bummed, she had really been looking forward to hearing Alex's voice again but she couldn't help but smile and shake her head lightly as she heard Meg's laughter fill the hallway. Her and Terry had been a secret couple for as long as she could remember, everyone knew it and she had a feeling that Meg knew that the rest of them knew, well except for Jodi, and that was probably the reason why Meg and Terry still kept sneaking around.  
"You looked bummed" Tess said as Claire took another bite of her chicken.  
"What?" Claire looked confused at Tess, not wanting to go there again.  
"You looked bummed when you got back, who are you expecting a call from?"  
"Are you still on about this? Just drop it Tess" Claire said annoyed, feeling the panic from earlier. Tess had to leave it or she'll most likely be telling everyone around the table about Alex. Tell them about his arms, his eyes, his lips, his wet hair dripping down on his chest. She escaped to her own little fantasy where she was back in Alex's arms, kissing him, feeling him - running her fingers through his hair while he made her feel the prettiest and luckiest women on earth.  
"Who is it?" Tess said with a cheeky smile, wanting to know why Claire was drifting on clouds, losing every logical sense in her, it had to be someone very special for him to do that to her.  
"Alex" Claire heard herself say without thinking. _Oh crap, I just blurred it out didn't I?_ she asked herself and looked at Tess, then at Jodi and Becky. Did she really say it or was it just her mind saying his name out so loud it sounded like it came out of her mouth? Tess started to laugh and her smile got bigger. _Yep, I just said it .._  
"I knew something was up but Alex?" Tess said and started to laugh even more. It wasn't funny or at least not that funny - Well, Claire and Alex together wasn't the funny part, the whole situation was funny. Claire and Alex was meant to be, everyone who was around them knew that.  
"Okay fine, it's Alex. Can we leave it now?" Claire said, trying to hide her smile but she was kinda relieved to tell them. She wanted to share her newfound happiness with Alex with them.  
"No way" Jodi said as her and Tess's laugh were wearing off. "I'll bet he's great in bed" Jodi said with a cheeky smile and a voice she tried to make sexy, which made the others laugh again.  
"Okay, I'm not doing this" Claire said with a shy smile and a shook on her head. She put down her cutlery before she started to make her way outside to the veranda. She couldn't believe what Jodi had just said, but it was so typical Jodi to focus on those things. Not that he wasn't good in bed, he was, like exceptional good, but she wasn't going to discuss that with them - that was their business and theirs only. She smiled, it was a relief that Tess had sort of pushed her to talk, they wouldn't have to hide it or sneak out to be together, like Meg and Terry did all the time. The chilly wind took her back to last night on the balcony where they had been in each others arms, kissing and declaring their true feelings towards one another. She felt her smile getting wider as she thought about how Alex had told she was the only one that could fit into his heart - how he wanted a new beginning with her.

"I'm sorry Claire, I didn't mean to laugh" Tess said as she joined Claire on the veranda. She was happy for Claire. Her and Alex were perfect for each other and seeing Claire this happy wasn't something she had in a very long time and she could only thank Alex for that. "It's not that I think you two are a weird couple or anything, it's just the whole situation, it was so not expected" Tess continued and looked out on the sun that was about to set. This time of day was her favourite. She often found herself sitting outside and admiring the sunset sneak down behind the hill, make everything shine and glow - you couldn't get that anywhere in the city.  
"It's okay, I didn't expect it either" Claire said with a smile before finding herself a seat in one of the chairs outside.  
"So, you wanna tell me about it?" Tess asked and placed herself beside Claire at the table, dying to know absolutely everything about her and Alex. Claire smiled, didn't know where to start or what to say.  
"He's great Tess, really great.." Claire said with her eyes glowing brighter than stars.  
"You love him" Tess said more as a statement than anything else, seeing how her sister smiled just by the thought of him. That was real love, real true and deep love and she was so happy for Claire - everyone deserved to find that kind of love, the kind of love that knocks you down and leave you breathless, the kind of love that makes you spin around, makes you unaware of all the bad things around you, the kind of love you only experience once in your lifetime.  
"I do" Claire said and smiled even more than she thought was possible but her eyes suddenly frowned, remembering how Alex and Tess had hooked up not long after she had arrived at Drover's. "You okay with this? Me and Alex?" Claire asked, not wanting to hurt Tess by being with Alex, they had had something together after all.  
"Claire" Tess said and smiled with a shook of her head. Her and Alex hadn't worked out because she wasn't ready to commit herself fully to someone and because she felt how Alex took a step back every time it got a tiny bit serious between them. "Me and Alex are old history. We didn't love each other, I guess we were fascinated by each other, for a while .. and then I realised he didn't love me, he loved you. It was clear for everyone to see. And it's okay, because I didn't love him that way either"  
"It was?" Claire asked with a puzzled voice. If it was clear for everyone to see, why hadn't she picked up on it before, it couldn't had been that clear then. "Well, if it was that clear why didn't he say something or way didn't I notice?"  
"Because we don't all wear blinkers and we don't tear down a wall to build one that's even higher .. Claire" The last part Tess had said with an accusing voice and she was right, about the walls that is. Not really sure about the blinkers though, because Alex hadn't really been the one to actually show how he really felt but then again, that was probably because of the wall she had placed between them. She shook her head and laughed. "I know" Claire said with a voice of surrendence and a bit of regret. She regretted being so blind and in denial when it came to Alex and she regretted wasting time on Peter when she could have had Alex.  
"But you look great together, you really suit each other - you guys are two of a piece. A bit scary actually" Tess said and laughed. "When you think about it, it would be like arguing with yourself"  
"Oh, I'll never win then!" Claire said and laughed.  
"And may god have mercy upon us, when you two get in one of your bets" Tess said and they both started to laugh. They laughed so hard that both of them ran out of air and then they started all over again, like two little kids that had the time of their life on a merry-roundabout or another amusement.

After what had seemed like an eternity of laughing and bonding as sisters, telling stories and just having a heart to heart conversation, the others joined Claire and Tess on the veranda with a round of beer. A beer and a good talk was the best way to end a busy day at Drover's - they would talk about the day, they would gossip about the others who lived around - mostly the Ryan family that is and once in awhile they would share stories with each other, stories from earlier on in their lives or even problems they were or had gone through. This night was no different. They all wanted to hear about Alex and Claire, they wanted the dirty juice, they wanted to hear everything and it was absolutely everything.  
"Okay okay, correct me if I'm wrong, but I really doubt it - but I'm thinking that Alex has some pretty nice looking abs under that shirt of his" Jodi said and reached out for her beer at the table. "I mean - they are almost visible with his shirt on" she continued and gave Claire a cheeky look before taking a sip of her beer.  
"Aargh, I don't wanna hear it" Meg said and covered her ears, making the rest of the girls laugh. She had known Alex and Nick since they were kids, so discussing any body parts of theirs, wasn't on top of her list.  
"Hear what?" a voice sounded from the doorway.  
"Alex!" Claire said with surprised voice and quickly got up from her chair. She couldn't help but feel shy as he stood only a few meters away. How much had he heard of Jodi, fantasizing about him without a shirt on? But a little smile found it's way to her mouth. She had missed him all day since they had said goodbye at noon and the joy of seeing him again was bigger than she had expected. She noticed he was a bit out of place, fumbling with his hat in his hands, trying not to look nervous but he did and he was terrible at hiding it - but Claire was just as nervous herself. It was a strange feeling standing with Alex in front of everyone, knowing they knew about them. It was all so new still, so figuring out how to act in front of others weren't easy. He walked closer to her, going in for a hug but he suddenly remembered that Claire didn't wanted to tell about them yet, so a hug was out of the question. He had to act as he would normally do but it was really hard, when all he wanted was to pull her in and kiss her. He quickly abandoned his hug mission and went for a awkward stroke on her back instead, making the rest of the girls laugh.  
"What are you doing?" Tess asked laughing. _Great, now I look like a complete idiot_ Alex thought to himself and send Claire a set of begging eyes, eyes that begged her to help him out. Claire send the girls a firm look that ordered them to stop laughing at him, it was uncomfortable enough as it were.  
"I'm sorry Alex. They only laugh because I accidentally told them about us and now they are being complete jerks" Claire made sure to say the last part facing Tess and Jodi, that still found the whole thing every amusing.  
"They know?" Alex asked surprised. He had prepared himself to go on egg shells for a good amount of time until Claire thought telling the others about them was a good idea.  
"Yep" Tess said with a cheerful smile, still enjoying herself seeing Alex so out of place and uncomfortable - He had been worse than Claire during lunch.  
"Good!" Alex said and started to smile. He put his hat back on and lifted Claire over his shoulder "We are out of here then" he said with a cheeky smile and planted a sweet clap on Claire's bum before making his way into the house with Claire on his shoulder, screaming to put her down and he did - in front of her bedroom door.  
"I couldn't wait to see you, I had to see you. I've missed you all day" Alex said and walked closer to her, pushing her against the door, trapping her between it and him. "I've missed you too" Claire said and lost herself in his eyes, feeling him move closer and closer until there were no more room, no more air between them. His lips felt even softer than this morning and his hands felt stronger as they pulled her in - She had missed him, missed his touch that made her body shiver, missed his kiss that took her places she didn't know existed and she had missed being in his arms, feeling him against her, feeling his longing and desire.  
"We should get in" Claire said with heavy breathing in between their kisses  
"Good idea" Alex said and looked for the handle with his hand, busy feeling her and busy kissing her. After a few seconds he found the handle and guided Claire in backwards, making sure not to break away from her sweet sugar coated lips.  
"You gotta stop doing this to me Claire" Alex said with lust glowing in his eyes as he held her head between his hands. "I'm not doing anything Alex" Claire laughed  
"You are being you and that's enough" Alex said and kissed her cheek and then her neck, feeling Claire's desire for more of his touches. "Well I'm sorry but I don't know how to be anyone else other than me" Claire said with a cheerful voice before closing her eyes, feeling the strength from his arms pull her even closer. Alex smiled. She was perfect as she was, he just couldn't help himself around her. His body screamed for her, longed for her every time he laid eyes on her. Her sweet scent and blue-green eyes kept drawing him in, it was like a drug to him and he couldn't get out nor did he want to get out. He stepped back and looked at her, really looked at her. Making sure to take notice of every little detail on her body, making Claire feel a bit shy. She smiled at him as she catched his eyes, they were deeper than anything right now and all she wanted to do was dive into them, be one with him, like they had been the night before.


	6. Chapter 6

**Just a morning feeling**

The alarm clock woke her from her sleep, her deep fantastic sleep. She hadn't slept this good in what seemed like forever. She rolled to her side and reached out to give the clock an irritating knock before squeezing her eyes together. It was already 5am and that meant she had to get out of bed and that was one thing she absolutely didn't feel the urge to.  
"Morning" she heard Alex say with a deep sleepy voice behind her as he tucked his arms around her, pulling her in, making himself comfortable on her pillow. She instantly started to smile as she felt his arms holding her tight - it was a feeling she could never get tired off, a feeling she couldn't get enough off. "You slept alright?" she asked as she merged her fingers with his, gently leaving a kiss on the back of his hand. A vague mmh sound from Alex was all she got as he snuggled his nose into her collarbone, that made her feel the warm air from his breath on her shoulder, making it even harder to get out of bed.  
"Oh no, where do you think you are going?" Alex asked as he felt Claire trying to free herself from his grip.  
"Out of bed?" Claire said with a small laugh, feeling his arms tighten around her again.  
"Not yet" Alex said with a firm voice, pulling her away from the edge. He wasn't ready to let go of her, not yet. Whatever the day had planned to throw at them would have to wait a bit longer.  
"Alex .. " Claire said with a laugh and turned to face him, stroking his cheek with the tip of her finger - his stubbles was still feeling rough against her skin. "The truck is going to be here soon" she continued with a convincing tone of voice. She knew she had promised Tess she could handle it but she would still like to be there, overseeing everything, making sure that nothing happened. "They'll manage" Alex said without blinking and cleared her face from a lock of hair. All he wanted to do was stay in bed a bit longer and look at her. He could stare at her all day without getting tired of it. "I have to be there, Alex" Claire said smiling, feeling herself being lured into his web of desire once again but no, she had to get out of bed no matter how tempting it was to stay there with Alex. Besides, she had never in her life been late and being with Alex wasn't going to be an excuse.  
"No" he said and put his weight on his arm. "You have to be here" he said and started to caress her shoulder, leaving kisses on her arm and neck. It wasn't fair what he was doing, he knew all the right spots to trigger and she slowly felt herself walking into his web. She felt all her logic disappear. They kissed but it wasn't just a kiss, somehow it felt stronger and more passionate than the other kisses they had shared. "Alex, it's not fair" she heard herself whisper as his hand slowly stroke her bare leg, leaving his fingers to dance on her soft skin. "What isn't fair?" he asked smiling at her, knowing what she was on about. "This" she said and placed a hand on his, trying to make him stop for one second so she could regain some of her logical thinking. Alex laughed and moved his hand to her back, forcing her to turn to her back with him on top of her. He looked at her, really looked at her - it was like he could see right into her soul. He knew exactly what she was thinking and what she wanted, he knew exactly how to be around her. He kissed her, first on the tip of her ear then her cheek, before making his way down her neck.  
"You mean this?" he said with a cheeky voice.  
"Mmh" was all Claire could say as she drifted off into their own world. His kisses were like a smile but not really a smile, they were like a new beginning full of sensation, they were .. they were electrifying, sending small waves of electricity through every spot on her body he kissed. She felt his hand make its way up her leg, caressing every inch on its way until he reached her stomach. He was making his fingers dance under her shirt, leaving chills everywhere. "Alex" Claire heard herself say half aware and half in her own world of desire. "Mmmh?" Alex said and started to kiss her soft stomach, feeling her body shake under him. "We can't - not now" he heard her say but her words meant nothing, he wanted her and if he wasn't mistaken she wanted him just as much.  
"Claire?" he said and let his mouth captivate her body, making sure to stir the last bit of logic away from her brain. "Yes?" she asked and felt his eyes pierce themselves into hers as he looked at her. "Can you just .. stop thinking about work for a couple of minutes?" he asked politely and planted a kiss on her mouth, allowing himself to taste the sweetness from her lips, allowing himself to splash around in his lust for more of her. But just as Claire had fully surrendered to her desire and lust to be with him, feel him, a knock on the door reached their ears. Alex looked at Claire with a unsatisfied look, they were just about to explore each other, they were this close to be one with each other again. "Typical" was all Alex said with a sigh and a small laugh followed by a shook of his head, as he pulled away from Claire. He couldn't believe they were getting interrupted. He looked at the clock, were people even ready to go out at this time?!  
"Claaaire?" Tess's voice sounded from the other side of the door. "What?" Claire said, trying not to sound short breathed from their kisses.  
"It's just .. I'm going to meet up with Becky, the truck will be here in an hour and I was just wondering .." "You wondered what?" Claire interrupted her as she saw Alex make his way out of bed. He looked very handsome in nothing but his boxers and she couldn't help but stare at him, thinking of him on top of her, feeling his warm body against hers. "You can handle it. I'll be down in 20 minutes" Claire said before Tess could answer her question. She lifted the covers on the bed, inviting him back in. She couldn't resist him and the last thing she could think about right now was work, he had made damn sure about that. Alex smiled and a wildness appeared in his eyes, seeing how Claire was baiting him back in. "Make that 40" he yelled to the closed door and jumped back in bed leaving himself on top of Claire. "Or maybe 50" he stated before kissing Claire once again. This would definitely take longer than 20 minutes.  
Tess frowned for herself as she heard their laughs behind the door. This was so unlike Claire to miss any work around the place, she was always the first out of bed and the last one in it - but it seemed that Alex had gotten her mind on other things. _I'll better let them do .. that_ Tess thought to herself and made her way downstairs with a smile on her lips.


	7. Chapter 7

**Decency or not**

"So is this the reason!" she could recognize that voice anywhere. _Peter._ Claire turned around to see Peter standing only meters away from her and the others. What was he doing here? She suddenly felt her body getting flooded with nervousness and anxiety. They hadn't talked since they were supposed to meet up at his house in Queensland, the day she found her way with Alex. And that was weeks ago. He couldn't be here, seeing him was making her uncomfortable - it was wrong in so many ways and she wanted nothing to do with him.  
"So .. work is the reason why you didn't show nor have the decency to even call me?" Claire felt his words filling her body with rage and her blood was boiling. Was he really going to stand there and talk about decency when he had been with his wife on the day they had planned to meet? "We should get lunch ready .. all of you" Meg said behind Claire, rushing the others to follow her back to the house. Tess looked at Claire, feeling her sister's uncomfortable tension in her body but Claire send her a reassuring look, telling her she would be fine.  
"You just gonna stand there and say nothing?" Peter asked as the others passed by him and started to walk a bit closer. He was mad, it was obvious for Claire to see but it wasn't a position he could allow himself to be in.  
"Why are you here?" was all Claire could stumble out, she was still processing the fact he was standing in front of her. "Oh, let me see" he said with a cold voice. "Maybe because you ditched me three weeks ago and didn't even call me" he stopped in front of her, making Claire take a few steps back. Being near him made her even more uncomfortable and mad. "You know what?" Claire said and shook her head, trying to get herself together. "You can't come here and talk about decency - What in hell makes you think YOU of all people have the right to talk about decency" Claire yelled, leaving Peter with a confused look. It escalated quicker than she had thought it would "I wasn't the one fooling around with the wife I were suppose to be leaving" Claire yelled once again, feeling every cell of her body arming up to a hell of a fight. He suddenly got quiet and Claire noticed his look turn into an even more confused look. Did he really think she fell for that, how stupid did he think she were. "Don't give me that look. I saw it Peter .. I saw everything. You and your wife in the house that day" Claire stopped, feeling her heart ache from all the feelings he had put her through, all the times he had hurt her, all the times she had allowed herself to be hurt. "Why did you ask me to come and talk things over, when you clearly can't divorce your wife. You call THAT decency?!" her tears were pressing to come out, she was madder than she had been in a long time and he couldn't do that to her, he wasn't allowed to make her feel that way.  
"No, you're misunderstanding" Peter said with a much lower voice, reaching for her hand but Claire took another step back. "Yes my wife was there or ex-wife, but that was only because we needed to go through the last details of the divorce and figure things out with the kids .. Please Claire, you have to believe me" he looked at her with begging eyes, eyes Claire had fallen for many times before because she had been madly in love with him but that wasn't the case anymore. She was in love with Alex, more than she had ever been in love with anyone before and Peter couldn't come around and mess with everything. "Peter .. " Claire said with a saddened but still firm voice, remembering all the good times they had shared, feeling a little voice inside of her appearing, telling her he was telling the truth. "It makes no difference whether or not I believe you. Things isn't the same anymore and they haven't been for a long time." She stopped, giving him a gentle look, telling him he was forgiven but it was over.  
"Claire don't do this. I love you, I want to be with you more than anything. Don't you love me?" she looked at him with sorrow in her eyes. His words made no difference to her.  
"No Peter. I did love you but that was then and this is now. I can't love a man that's done nothing but lie and hurt me. It's over, there's nothing left" she said and walked past him, feeling her eyes watering up. He grabbed her arm, forcing her to look at him. "Why are you crying if you don't love me?" he asked, hoping for her to say what he wanted to hear but she didn't.  
"I'm crying because you show up here, risking to ruin everything with the only person I've ever really loved .. I don't want you anymore" Claire said and pulled her arm out of his grip. "Now get off my property before I call the cops on you" she said with a firm voice and walked with great haste away from him, feeling tears rushing down her cheeks. All she wanted was Alex right now, more than anything.  
"I gave up on everything for you, EVERYTHING. My wife .. my kids" he yelled at her back making her turn. "NO!" Claire yelled at the top of her lungs. "You don't get to pull that one on me! You left your wife and kids the day you decided to get involved with me. I never asked you to leave them, in fact I asked you to stay with them, be the father your kids deserved but you convinced me they were better off with you as a father, living away from your wife. So no, don't give me that" She had gone from being sad to being furious in seconds. "Leave .. now" she said one more time before getting out of his sight.

She slammed the door to the laundry making Roy tuck his tail between his legs and make a squeaky sound. The others eyes were focused at the door, waiting for her to get in the kitchen. "Don't talk about it" Meg quickly said as quiet as she could before Claire entered the room. They shouldn't get involved in her business, well the business that had anything to do with Peter or Alex but Meg knew that Claire knew, that the rest of them had heard the whole fight - the best thing to do in a situation like this, was to pretend it had never happened. They all followed Claire with their eyes as she walked from one side of the kitchen to the other, they watched how she grabbed a glass from the cabinet, they watched how she filled the glass with water and they watched how her face was trying to hide the ticking bomb inside of her that could go off any minute and explode on the first and best - and none of them weren't exactly praying for them to be the disarmer. Expect for Tess - Yes, Tess had always been known to stick her nose in absolutely everything, known to want to fix things that wasn't any of her concern.  
"Claire are you .. " was all Tess got to say before the bomb dropped. Becky did anything in her power to stop Tess from asking her question, shaking her head behind Claire but it was too late.  
"Tess" Claire said and took in a deep breathe trying to reduce the damage output she was about to throw at her sister. "Buck out of it"  
"But you can't .. "  
"I don't want to hear what you have to say, you can't analyze this so drop it" Claire hissed and made her way out of the kitchen but that didn't help her, Tess was right behind her, following her every step into the study.  
"First of all I don't analyze things Claire, I talk about problems - and this is obvious a problem" Tess said and closed the door behind her. Claire rolled her eyes with her back to Tess, all she wanted, all she asked for what for everyone to let go of the Peter thing. The quicker it was buried the quicker she could forget everything about him, forget that he had ever existed. "Why won't you talk to me?" Tess asked and crossed her arms waiting for Claire to turn and face her.  
"Because" Claire said with great power in her voice as she turned to face Tess but the hurt she had felt moments ago found its way to her eyes, and she couldn't control the tears that were pushing to come out. "Because if I talk about it, I risk to ruin everything and I don't want to do that. I just want Alex, I just want to forget about everything and be happy - but I can't do that because there's always someone who keeps reminding me of all the times I allowed myself to get hurt!" Claire looked at Tess with tears running down her cheek, wishing for Alex to be here, wishing for him to hold her close until the tears stopped.  
"Claire .." Tess said with low voice, feeling her sister's pain all the way into her bones. "You didn't allow yourself to be hurt, you couldn't know - none of us could. You aren't to blame in this" she said and softly pulled Claire in for a hug. They stood like that for a couple of minutes until Claire's sobbing was beginning to clear off. There wasn't anything like a sisters hug to scare off all of the pain and hurt. "But you do know that Alex will be furious when he finds out Peter was here" Tess said and felt Claire's body tense. "Yup, he might even kill him" she continued, feeling how Claire was trying to keep her guard up. "I know" Claire said and started to laugh. "Why am I laughing, it's not even funny" Claire said and pulled away from Tess laughing. "No - it really isn't" Tess said and started to laugh as well and before they knew it they were laughing like one of them had just told the best joke on the entire planet.

"What's going on?" Alex asked as he saw Claire and Tess bursting out in laughs, as he opened the door to the study. Claire looked at him, trying to gather herself again. She prepared herself for a bumpy road, she had no way of knowing how Alex would react to Peter stopping by but considering the other times those two had clashed, she feared the worse.  
"I'm gonna see where they are with lunch" Tess said and put a comforting hand on Claire's shoulder as she walked past her and out of the study.  
"What eh .. are you doing here?" Claire asked nervously and placed herself against the desk. "Well, I came by to see you but then Meg stopped me"  
"She did?" Claire's eyes got big. _He's going to freak out_ Claire thought.  
"Yep .. aaand she told me about Peter" he said and joined her on the desk. Claire turned to look at him, waiting to see how he would react, waiting for him to yell at her and leave in anger. "What?" Alex asked as he noticed her staring at him like there was something wrong.  
"What do you mean what? Aren't you gonna punch something or yell at me?" Alex shook his head and smiled at her. "Why on earth would I yell at you?"  
"Because Peter was here" Claire said with a confused voice.  
"Yeah but you didn't ask him to come, did you?"  
"Well no" Claire said, ready to start defending herself, making sure to let him know she had nothing to do with the fact he showed up at Drover's.  
"Then why should I yell? He's history aigh? - I'll rather know if you are okay?" Alex said and turned his body towards her, feeling her silence like she wasn't sure.  
"I am .. or I think I am. I don't know, I mean - I do know that I love you and I wanna be with you but nothing could have prepared me for Peter to show up" Claire said with a sigh feeling guilty about not knowing whether or not she was fine. Alex looked at her and stroke her gently on the cheek - under any other circumstances he would have been angry and probably hit something but he knew how much Claire had been through with all of Peter's lies and right now, all he wanted was to be there for her, make her see how precious she really is and how a real man treats the woman he loves.  
"I love you too" he said and pulled her in. Claire smiled for herself. She had never thought this conversation would be as calm as this and Alex had surprised her. She would have thought he would be madder than mad and walk out of there without looking back, but that wasn't the case. She tightened her grip around him, never wanting to let him go again.  
"So, you think we can forget about this whole Peter thing and get some lunch?" Alex asked after a couple of minutes in silence.  
"Oh yeah, I'm starving" Claire said and freed herself from his arms. It was okay, everything was actually okay and a huge weight suddenly got lifted from her shoulders.

"Claire!"  
"What?!" Claire asked as Tess had called her out.  
"I was eating that" Tess said and looked how Claire finished the last of her sandwich. "No you weren't, it's been on your plate forever" Claire said and took another bite of the beef sandwich. They others started to laugh, she was unstoppable right now, eating everything in her way.  
"You've eaten three already" Meg said and leant in to take the rest of the plates on the table with a corky smile on her lips. "I'm hungry!" Claire said and took the last bite of the sandwich before making her way to the sink for a glass of water.  
"Up" she said and clapped Alex on his thigh as she walked by him.  
"What?" he asked following her outside. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you" Claire said and walked to the stables. They stopped in front of the fence, watching how the horses were eating and running around.

"She's beautiful, don't you think?" Claire asked and kept her focus on the horses.  
"Who? Blaze?" Alex asked and moved his focus to Blaze. Claire nodded, Blaze was indeed the horse she was talking about and she was ready. Ready to do something about her big dream.  
"Peter got me thinking" she said and turned her eyes to Alex, feeling him tense up a bit. "Our plan was to start a breeding and training program but we never got to do it - and I gave up on that idea."  
"Why? It's what you've always dreamed off" Alex said and studied Claire's face. "Exactly! That's my point but I can't do it alone" Claire said and started to smile all over her face. Having Alex as her partner and business partner would be the best of two worlds.  
"Are you suggesting what I think you are?" Alex asked and felt her contagious smile spread to his lips.  
"You in or out?" Claire asked with a hopeful voice.  
"You know what .. It's probably the smartest thing I've heard you say in a long time McLeod" he said and gave her a big smile. Claire started to laugh and punched him on his shoulder "Get out of here" she said and felt his arms around her waist, spinning her around. "I'm in" Alex said before planting a kiss on her mouth. They were really going to do this - breed and train horses and they would the best trainers in whole Australia!


	8. Chapter 8

**A feeling to the Stomach**

"Look, all I'm saying is, that we need to pull on Harry's contacts to get this business up and running" Alex said facing Claire's back. They had been on about this since they had agreed to start their business together and that was four days ago - but no matter how hard Alex tried to talk some sense into Claire, she wouldn't budge.  
"I have never asked Harry for anything and this won't be it either" Claire said and faced him with the harness in her hands. Her eyes pierced themselves into his and her facial expression changed, it was firm and telling him to back off - that was all she wanted, to have Alex drop this whole Harry thing. They were able to do this on their own with no help from anyone.  
"It's stupid not to eat the cake when it's right in front of you" Alex said and threw his arm out, why wouldn't she just listen?  
"Harry doesn't do anything that wouldn't come in handy for him later on, you of all people should know that" Claire said and tightened the harness around Eagle, she was ready to get out of this conversation and down to the others in Little Regret. Alex shook his head - out of all the people he could have had as his soulmate, his person, the universe had picked the one woman on earth that resembled himself more than anything, but he knew she was right, Harry didn't do anything for others unless he got something out of it as well - That didn't make him evil or anything, that was just how he was and that was the man he had learned to accept was his father, whether he liked it or not.  
"Okay, okay. Let's try it your way then" Alex said and gave her an irritating smile and shook his head as she mounted Eagle. "Don't forget the dinner at Killarney later" he said, knowing how badly Claire wanted to get out of it.  
"I'll try not to" Claire sarcastically said before she cantered away. She would do anything to get out of dinner with Liz and Harry Ryan. It wasn't like she hated them or anything but since Jack died she had felt Harry breathing on her neck, knowing he would sweep in under her and take Drover's whenever the possibility presented itself - Losing Drover's was something that could never happen, it was her home, her life, her everything. Sometimes people had a hard time trying to understand why she worked as much as she did, why she wanted to be everywhere at once and why she didn't go for half finished chores. But what people didn't understand was, that without Drover's she would have nothing, she would be nothing. Drover's was her heart and soul and it may sound stupid to most people but that was just how things were, and Alex knew that - he knew exactly how much Drover's meant to her, and that was just one of the reasons she loved him, out of many.

 _Urgh, this isn't going to work_ Claire thought to herself as she put on a dress Tess had found for her - It would be perfect for a dinner at the Ryans, at least that was what Tess had said. But she felt uncomfortable and out of place in the dress. She never wore a dress and just because she was going to have dinner at Killarney it didn't mean she had to wear one. A dress was simply not her thing and it would never be. She took one last look at herself in the mirror before shaking her head, this was stupid and people would look at her differently - she didn't look Claire-alike. As she unzipped the dress and got out of it, she started to feel a slight discomfort in her body. She placed herself on the edge of the bed, she felt dizzy and a headache was knocking on the door. She took a moment to gather herself before getting up. She found the first and best top in her closet and a pair of jeans - party jeans, not those she wore for work.  
A knock on the door sounded and Tess immediately opened the door. She was expecting Claire to look as stunning as ever with the dress she had picked out for her, it was perfect for her but a surprised look soon spread itself as she saw Claire in jeans and a top. "No no no, what are you doing?" Tess asked with shocking voice and hurried to her side. "I'm getting ready" Claire said and found a belt in the closet to go with the jeans. "But this isn't the dress. You can't wear .. that" Tess said and picked up her dress from the floor.  
"Yeah, I haven't really understood why women wants to wear dresses, I mean, they aren't practical at all" Claire said and tightened her belt.  
"But this is Liz, Claire. You can't go in jeans."  
"I've been there in jeans many times before, what's the problem?" Claire said and frowned at her sister. It was just a dinner, not a royal event. "Yeah as Claire, not as: hi I'm Claire, your future daughter-in-law" Tess said and sighed. Her sister was unbelievable sometimes.  
"For now I'm just Claire, thank you very much" she laughed and started to make her way to the door, but before she knew it, she started to feel dizzy again. She quickly supported herself with a hand on her bed. It felt like the whole room were spinning. "What's wrong? You look pale" Tess said as she noticed Claire's uncomfortable expression. She placed a hand on her back, waiting for Claire to say something. "I'm just a bit dizzy, I just need a moment" Claire said and placed herself on the edge of the bed. "Are you getting sick?" Tess asked and joined her on the bed. "No I'm fine, I just need to sit for a second then it's gone" Claire said, trying to assure Tess but that didn't help her much.  
"Are you sure? Because, you haven't been eating that much the past two days and you look really pale, maybe it's the flu? Or maybe it's because you haven't eaten .." Tess said and placed a hand on Claire's forehead. A car was pulling up outside, interrupting Tess's medical consultation of Claire. "Tess I'm fine" Claire said and moved her hand from her head. "And that's Alex, so I have to go now" she said and got on her feet. The dizziness was over as she had told Tess it would be, she was fine, wasn't she? She had felt a bit dizzy yesterday as well but it was nothing major, it came and went within seconds like it just had. "Have a good night" Tess said and watched Claire rush out of the room. She couldn't help but feel worried, if Claire really had the flu she should take it with ease, be in bed and only worry about getting well before it escalated into something bigger.

"Maybe this was a bad idea" Claire said as Alex pulled up outside the front house of Killarney. She was nervous to be around Harry and Liz, all because of Tess's little speech before. Normally she would be herself around them, as always, but now she started to doubt herself - Harry and Liz, especially Liz had great expectations and what if she didn't fulfill them, what if she wasn't good enough for Alex.  
"It'll be fine, don't worry" he said and gently moved her face his direction. His eyes told the truth, she could see that and it reassured her to see how calm Alex was. And even if it wasn't going to be fine they would at least go down together, and they could always storm out of there and pretend the dinner never happened. As Claire leant in to give Alex a quick kiss the door on his side suddenly opened and Nick's face appeared. He had a huge smile on his face, knowing he had just interrupted their moment. "You gonna sit there all night or you coming in?" he asked and looked at them, feeling them tense up a bit - they looked pretty annoyed with him but he found it quite funny.  
"Yeah yeah" Alex said and got out of the car. Typical his little brother to walk in and ruin moments like this. He had done it so many times when they were younger, Alex couldn't even keep track of it anymore.  
"Mum's waiting for you but I could always say you guys will be running late" Nick said and started to laugh. "Just get in, will ya?" Alex said and laughed, following his brother inside the house with Claire at his side. He felt her tension through her entire body as she took his hand and hold it tight but he couldn't blame her for being nervous he was as well. They've known Claire their whole lives so she wasn't a stranger to them but it was still different, she wasn't _just_ Claire anymore, she was _Claire_ \- the one person he cared for more than anyone else.  
"Oooh there you guys are" Liz said as they walked into the livingroom. She hurried to their side and gave both of her sons a hug and a motherly kiss on their cheeks. "Claire!" she said with bright eyes and a smile so big it filled half of her face, she opened her arms for a hug. "Liz" Claire said, feeling a slight discomfort as she hugged her - and it was in that moment it was clear to Claire that everything had changed, she wasn't just Claire anymore, she was Harry and Liz's daughter-in-law something they obvious were very pleased with.  
"Come and sit down while Rhonda finishes preparing the dinner" Liz said and walked towards the couch. Claire had never sat in their couches, let alone hugged Liz Ryan, this was all taking its time to sink in. She placed herself beside Alex, this was "enemy territory" and she wanted to be as close to him as possible, since he was the only one who could get her out of there alive. None of them said anything but it was clear for everyone to see that Liz wanted to talk about Alex and Claire, she kept smiling and looking at them and she tried really hard not to say anything but it was a struggle.  
"Where's dad?" Alex asked, trying to find a topic to lead her mind away from him and Claire. "He'll be here any minute - he's finding the wine for the dinner but .." Liz stopped and moved further out on the chair she had placed herself in. "I'll just like to say that we are so happy for you and Alex - You guys have always meant to end up together, so when Peter came in the picture we thought our chance for a daughter-in-law was ruined" her words made Claire even more uncomfortable than anything and Peter's name made her inside stir.  
"I've found the perfect wine" Harry's voice sounded from the other end of the living room. Claire had never been so happy to hear his voice, let alone see him but he had just saved her from the world's most disturbing outcome of a potential conversation with Liz about Peter. "Claire!" he said and threw his arms to the side "our favorite daughter-in-law" Harry continued as he walked closer to the couch. Claire desperately turned her face to look at Alex, having Liz to call her daughter-in-law was strange but hearing those words come out of Harry's mouth were just uncomfortable. Her eyes begged Alex to help her, get her out of there as fast as possible, even though that wasn't an option. His mouth formed the words _it's going to be okay_ as he took her hand and smiled at her, trying everything in his power to calm her down.  
"Oh Harry, look at them" Liz said like a little school girl. Nick couldn't help himself from laughing, the whole situation was so funny and he was in the middle of it - and this was exactly the reason why he never took home any of his girlfriends.  
"Dinner is ready" Rhonda said. Rhonda was their maid or househelp, or whatever you wanted to call it. Claire had always had trouble understanding why they needed one, Liz was home all day, most of the time anyway, unless she had to go to one of her social meetings and other things like that. "Yes, thank you Rhonda" Harry said and signaled the rest of them to join him in the dining room with a nod on his head.

They were halfway through their dinner and everything had tasted absolutely fantastic, and the mood had changed as well. Everybody had been a bit too formal, making Claire feel out of place not knowing what to say or do but as soon as the small talk had started, she relaxed a bit more, it was still unbearable to be eating dinner with the Ryans - It just felt like they were in a whole different league than the rest around here. But looking on the bright side - Liz had managed to keep the whole Peter business away and whenever Claire had felt like she was starting to bring it up, she had stirred the conversation in another direction. Even though the dinner hadn't been all that bad it was still something she would try and avoid, as much as she could. But best as Claire thought everything went smoothly Harry dropped the big bomb, the bomb she knew he would drop eventually."I would like to make a toast" Harry said and raised his glass of wine, to salute Alex and Claire. "It's no secret that me and Jack made plans, big plans, but they had always involved Claire and Nick - So it was a bit of a surprise when you chose the other son" Harry teased, talking directly to Claire, making her feel uncomfortable. She knew her dad and Harry had dreamed about her and Nick to get married, settle the deal and expand their lands together, but Claire had always seen the plan as a drunk talk between two old mates but apparently Harry still held onto it.  
"Even though you have chosen to settle with Alex, God knows why" Harry joked, trying his hardest to get a laugh out of them but he failed, only Liz and Nick grinned at his joke. Liz because a wife should laugh at her husband's jokes and Nick because it was something he could rub in Alex's face from now to eternity. ".. We are very happy to finally welcome you into our family Claire, you've always been of course but it's good to be making this official - All we need now, is a little something extra to expand our families and secure the future for the Ryan-McLeod clan". Claire and Alex looked at each other, he sent her his most apologetic eyes, he couldn't believe Harry talked about children.  
"Dad .. come on" Alex said in a firm way.  
"Oh but your father is right" Liz said and send Claire the sweetest and sugariest smile. "This place needs small feets running around" Liz continued and looked around the dining room as she remembered Alex and Nick growing up. "Indeed" Harry said and clapped Liz on her lap complacent with himself. Nick started to laugh by himself, this was the funniest dinner at Killarney he had ever experienced. Sure he should help Alex out, but seeing him struggling a bit longer wouldn't hurt anyone.  
"Oooh, just imagine a little Claire or a little Alex running around" Liz said and took Harry's hand. "Okay, enough" Alex said as he noticed Claire's unpleasant look. "Cut it out, aigh? We aren't there" Alex said in a firm way.  
"I need to use the toilet" Claire said and moved the napkin from her lap to the table. She needed a moment of peace from Liz and Harry, a moment of peace from this whole evening - it felt like she was playing dress up or acting out a scene, it was so far away from her everyday life that she had trouble understanding how this had been Alex and Nick's answer to a normal day, a normal life and still they had grown up to be so much different from their parents. And the talk about kids were just a bit too much. "I'll show you where it is" Alex said and got up from his seat. "Oh, there's no need, I know where .. " Claire said but felt his eyes telling her to go along. "Uhm sure" she said and smiled at him. "I know where the toilet is Alex" Claire said as soon as they were out of reach. He opened the door to the bathroom at the end of the hall and guided her in with his hand on her back. He closed the door behind them and looked at her with the same eyes, begging her to forgive him.  
"I'm sorry, just ignore them" Alex said and took her hand. Claire frowned and smiled at him, this evening was getting more and more crazy. "You do know how much it takes of me to listen to this, right?" Claire asked him with a cheeky smile. "I didn't even wanna come, so you better make things up to me" she continued, feeling a smile spread on his lips.  
"I know a way" Alex said with a playful smile and walked closer to her  
"Oh really?" Claire laughed as she felt his arm around her waist.  
"Really" Alex said and pulled her in with a kiss. He kissed her, a long deep and passionate kiss. In some mysterious way his kisses kept taking her to places she had never seen before, a new place with every kiss and this time was no different. She was flying high above in the clouds, landing in a field of flowers and back up again. But the moment quickly got ruined as she started to feel uncomfortable again, feeling the same dizziness she had earlier. "Alex" she said and closed her eyes, the room was starting to spin. "I need to sit down" she said and placed a hand on his chest to make him stop.  
"What? .. oh" he quickly said as he saw her turning pale. He guided her to the toilet and placed himself on his knees in front of her. "Are you okay?" Claire nodded. "I've been feeling a bit under the weather for the past couple of days and I keep getting dizzy, but I'm fine - or, Tess thinks I'm coming down with the flu"  
"You don't look too good, I think Tess is right" Alex said and stroke a bit of hair away from her face. "I'm fine, I swear. I just need a minute or two, then I'll be back in" Claire said, trying to assure him "You should go back" she continued. She was fine, she really was. It was just dizziness and it would go away any minute now. "Are you sure?" Alex said with a worried look on his face, he hated leaving her if she wasn't feeling well. "Go" Claire said with a smile and kissed him on his cheek.

Claire got back as the dessert got served, she felt a lot better. A bit of cold water on her face and she had been ready to go back in. She placed herself on her chair and looked at her plate. Apple pie with a bit of ice cream at the side was in front of her, it looked really good as the rest of the food had been throughout dinner but as soon as the smell of the baked apples hit her, she felt her stomach twist. The smell hit her like she ran into a brick wall. Hard and solid. She tried to swallow a few times, hoping it could keep the nausea down that came crawling its way into her but it didn't help - all she could think of was how she kept herself from throwing up and get away from the smell.  
"Alex" she said with low voice and poked to his lap. He turned to her, with his mouth full of pie. "I feel sick" she said, trying her hardest not to look at the food in front of her. Alex looked confused at her, was she feeling dizzy again or something else? "I'm gonna throw up" she whispered, making sure none of the others heard her.  
"Oh" Alex said and stopped his eating. She was feeling sick as in really sick. "You wanna go?" Alex asked and made the others turn their attention their way. "You're leaving?" Liz asked surprised. "You can't leave until you've tried Rhonda's apple pie" Liz said and took another bite of her plate. Her words made it even harder for Claire to ignore her nausea and she covered her mouth with a hand as discreetly as she could. Alex saw her struggling and he had to think fast to prevent the vomit show from coming to town.  
"I think it's best we go, Claire's isn't feeling well - probably the flu" he said and got up from his chair to support Claire.  
"Oh you poor thing" Liz said and rushed to their side. "I can have Rhonda make you a cup of tea and we have a spare room if you wanna lie down a bit" Liz continued, unaware that Claire was like a ticking bomb that could explode in a mess in any seconds. "Alex" Claire hissed. She had to get out of there, away from the smell and the talk about food. Maybe Tess had been right, maybe she really was coming down with the flu.  
"No, thank you mum, it's been great but we have to go" Alex said and kissed Liz on her cheek. Claire took a deep breath as soon as they got outside, feeling the nausea slowly disappear. She couldn't believe she was seconds away from throwing up all over Liz and Harry's diningroom.

"You okay?" Alex asked, still worried about her. She shouldn't be out if she was coming down with something, she needed all the rest she could get if that was the case.  
"I'm fine - can you just take me home?" she asked and walked to the car. "Okay, but I'm staying the night" he said and got in the car.  
"Alex, I'm not sure I'm worth anything when we get back" Claire said. Even though her nausea was on its way back and her dizziness was gone, again, she still felt a bit under the weather and all she wanted to do was sleep.  
"That's exactly why I'm staying the night - you need someone to look after you if you are sick" he said and started the car.  
"Don't worry, Tess is there and the rest - besides, it's probably nothing and I don't want you to come down with something if it is"  
"McLeod .. whether you have the flu, the stomach flu or something else, I'm staying. End of discussion, okay?" Alex said and drove out of the driveway. Claire smiled, did he just McLeod her? But he was overreacting, she never got sick so it was probably nothing at all and she would feel better in the morning after a good night sleep - the whole thing was probably caused by the stress around their new business, it was only four days ago they agreed on doing it together, so there was a lot of things they needed to figure out.


End file.
